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Posted: October 30th, 2009 Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman

Samhain (pronounced sam-HANE or SOW-en, depending on whom you ask) is the ancient version of what's now commercialized as Halloween. Commonly known as the "Witches New Year" by some who follow the Wiccan faith, this Celtic holiday pre-dates most modern religions and is a serious, not silly, day to let go of the old and make room for the future.

For the ancients, the year's seasons were important. If spring is a time of rebirth and renewal, the end of fall is a time to tuck the earth in for a long winter's nap.

So, for them, this time of year wasn't about sweets, dressing up or getting scared, it's was about celebrating the end of summer and all other things that have passed in the preceding seasonal cycle. Today, the celebration manifests itself as a time to rid yourself of anything in your life that's no longer useful -- like a bad habit or a heart ache.

"The holiday is all about purification, renewal and letting go of the old," says Christy Snow, a spiritual leader at The Spiritual Living Center of Charlotte. While she's not Wiccan, she has studied the faith for many years, along with other spiritual paths.

Because of centuries of repression and judgment, you won't find many people announcing their Samhain plans for this weekend; most will probably perform their rituals in a small group or at home.

That's also why there are so many different ways to celebrate, even though the reflective nature of the day is a common thread. Over the years, the celebration, like so many other Pagan traditions, has become an individual expression of faith in the cycles of the earth. What that means is, if you ask 100 people how they celebrate Samhain you'll likely get 100 different answers.

Snow says the holiday reminds her to ask herself if there is anything from her past -- like ingrained family habits -- that she should let go of, as well as what she can learn from the process of letting go.

She says a typical Samhain ritual alter might include objects that represent fall, like colorful leaves or apples. It might also include photographs of people who passed away and some may even prepare a meal for their departed loved one as a way to honor their memory. Others might build a fire, dance or host a feast. The colors red, for life, and black, for death, are also prominent.

For Snow, just like on December 31 of each year, Samhain reminds her to look backward and forward. It is a new year celebration, after all.

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